1981 Royal Wedding 50c Coin
The 1981 Royal Wedding 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 20 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1981
- Circulation mintage
- 20,000,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1981 Royal Wedding 50c worth?
20 million were made, so the 1981 Royal Wedding 50c is easy to find. A circulated one is worth face value; collectors pay a little more only for uncirculated coins.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with no bag marks
- An original mint roll or set
- A recognized variety or genuine error
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1981 Royal Wedding 50c rare?
- No. 20 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1981 Royal Wedding 50c coins were made?
- 20,000,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1981 Royal Wedding 50c made of?
- Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel). It weighs 15.55 g and measures 31.65 mm, with a 12-sided shape.
- Is the 1981 Royal Wedding 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 1981 Royal Wedding 50c was made
Prince Charles, then the Prince of Wales, married Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981. The wedding was watched on television around the world and Australia marked it with a commemorative 50c. Charles had a long personal link with the country: he spent part of his schooling at Timbertop, a campus of Geelong Grammar in Victoria, during the 1960s. The couple went on to tour Australia together in 1983.
The Royal Australian Mint released 20,000,000 of these coins into circulation. That was plenty to meet demand, but huge numbers were put aside as keepsakes by people who were caught up in the excitement of the wedding. As a result the coin is everywhere today and it is one of the most common 50c pieces people bring to coin dealers believing they've found something rare. It is a lovely souvenir of a famous day, but the large mintage and the number saved at the time mean it is not scarce. The coin also belongs to a short series of royal designs on the 50c that began with the 1977 Silver Jubilee.
How to recognize it
The reverse, designed by Stuart Devlin, shows portraits of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer side by side in profile. Lettering around the edge names the couple, along with FIFTY CENTS. With Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, the coin carries three royal portraits in all, which makes it easy to recognize. The obverse uses Arnold Machin's portrait with 1981 in the legend. Specifications are standard for the 12-sided 50c: 31.65 mm across the flats, 15.55 g of cupronickel and a plain edge. A coin dated 1981 showing the coat of arms is the regular design, not this commemorative.
1981 Royal Wedding 50c by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 1981 Royal Wedding 50c ranks 25th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2000 Millennium Year 50c (16.6 million); the next more common is the 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c (20.5 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 2.5 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 14 times fewer than this one.
It was the only circulating commemorative 50c coin dated 1981.
What to check on your 1981 Royal Wedding 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Royal Wedding dated 1981.
- Check the shape and size: the 50c is 12-sided, 31.65 mm across and weighs 15.55 g.
- Look at the surfaces under a light. Coins from mint rolls or sets have unbroken luster; change-worn coins show scuffs on the high points.
- Never clean it. Polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
At 20 million coins, this is a common commemorative and circulated examples are face value. The portraits are the high points, so wear shows first on the faces and hair. A coin that kept its original luster and has no knocks on the rim can pull a small premium, but most found in change or inherited tins are worn. Be wary of anyone presenting it as a rarity. The coin's appeal is as a souvenir and as part of a run of Australian royal coins, not as an investment.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 1981 |
| Circulation mintage | 20,000,000 |
| Composition | Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Weight | 15.55 g |
| Diameter | 31.65 mm |
| Shape | 12-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1981 Charles and Diana 50c worth anything?
It is a face value coin in circulated condition because 20,000,000 were issued and many were saved. An uncirculated example with full luster is a nice keepsake and can bring a small premium, but it is not rare.
Who is on the back of the 1981 Australian 50c?
The reverse shows the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, with Lady Diana Spencer in profile. It marks their wedding at St Paul's Cathedral on 29 July 1981. Queen Elizabeth II appears on the other side.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.